It is widely accepted that a Ductile Iron (DI) pipe is a safe, strong and reliable iron utilized for the majority of the applications where there is a long lasting need, say 100 plus years. The DI pipe is designed and manufactured abiding rigorous and prudent measures which give its unique quality standards and advantages over other pipe materials.

• DI pipe is usually manufactured with larger inside diameters than steel pipe and HDPE pipelines, enabling greater flow areas, resulting in an average 21% energy savings. Hence, it is best suited for liquid (mainly water) systems.
• DI pipe is found to comprise 98% recycled substances and materials. This makes the pipe itself a 100% recyclable material.
• Due to the metallic characteristics of DI pipe, it can be effortlessly located underground using regular/conventional pipe detectors and locators.
• In Ductile Iron Pipe design, allowances for casting tolerances and minor scratches/abrasions that may occur from handling /installation are applied. While both the steel and DI pipe types may have the same yield strength, steel pipe can be 35% thinner and does not include such allowances in design calculations.
• DI pipe is generally protected from corrosion through a polyethylene encasement (to isolate the pipe from aggressive soils), which is applied at the job site, thereby, eliminating any damage caused during shipping and handling.  Whereas, installing other pipes may require bonded coatings (either a cement-mortar coating or a dielectric coating) for corrosion control. However, any damage to this coating makes the iron exposed to corrosion, and it is practically impossible to install these steel pipes without slight damages.
• During installation a steel pipe requires braces and more side fill soil support to make it stay stiff and strong. This increases the difficulty of its installation. In the case of DI pipe, it has push-on joints that can be used to route the pipe, offering installers more field adaptability and flexibility.